Friday, March 1, 2024
How has your week been? Have any of the previous LivingItOut posts made you reevaluate how you use social media? Maybe you felt called out a couple of times.
If I’m being honest, I’m so sick of social media right now.
I’m sick of watching loved ones consume content that seems to hurt them more than it helps them. I’m sick of watching people pick fights over things that don’t matter and aren’t helping anyone. I’m sick of seeing people preach about God and Jesus in posts when their other posts—or personal decisions—don’t line up with what Jesus teaches. I’m sick of people claiming to care about the truth while picking and choosing which “truths” to share or posting things that aren’t accurate. And I’m sick of people posting complaints about what everyone else is doing wrong while not holding themselves accountable.
I am so sick of how people misuse social media.
And I’m just as guilty of all of this as anyone else. Maybe you can relate.
Don’t get me wrong—as a writer, I see that social media can be a powerful tool for sharing ideas and our lives with others. But even when we have the best intentions, if we’re not careful and intentional with how we use it, it can make us look pretty foolish (or worse), can’t it?
2 Timothy 2:25-26
25Gently instruct those who oppose the truth. Perhaps God will change those people’s hearts, and they will learn the truth. 26Then they will come to their senses and escape from the devil’s trap. For they have been held captive by him to do whatever he wants.
Sometimes, we get to be the ones gently instructing others. Other times, we are the ones who need instruction.
Thankfully, when we mess up, God doesn’t hold our mistakes against us.
Lamentations 3:22-23
22The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. 23Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning.
It’s never too late to change, start over, or resolve to do better. We live in a constantly changing world where no one expertly navigates the current technological landscape.
Maybe we messed up yesterday, but God’s mercies begin afresh each morning. Let’s accept the grace he offers us, show ourselves and each other that same grace, and try to learn from our mistakes so we can do better today.
Questions:
What’s one step you can take toward using social media more responsibly this week?
How good are you at offering yourself grace when you stumble on social media?
Next Steps:
Decide on one area you’d like to work on with how you use social media. Show yourself grace when you make mistakes, and remember to show others the same grace that God offers us.
Join us for the Mark Reading Plan beginning Monday March 4. Text Mark to 419-419-0707 and come on the journey through the Book of Mark.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, please help me as I navigate modern technology. Thank you for the creativity and inventiveness you’ve blessed humans with, and forgive how we misuse it. Help me grow more like Jesus in every area of my life and accept your grace when I fall short. May I offer that same grace to others, and may your will be done in me and through me.
Series Theme Verse:
Hebrews 13:8
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
Today’s post was written by Payton Lechner, a regular contributor to the LivingItOut Devotional.
Do You have the gift of creative communication? Do you want to help other’s grow spiritually and get to know God better. The LivingItOut is looking form people who love too write. And if you spotted the errors in this paragraph and they drove you crazy, we’d love to talk to you about editing or proofing. To learn more about joining the LIO team, please email lio@cedarcreek.tv .